Tony Blair, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007, is Special Envoy for the Middle East Quartet. Since leaving office, he has founded the Tony Blair Faith Foundation and the Faith and Globalization Initiative.

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Nations in the EU that are heavily dependent on international trade will be worried: "In an increasingly multipolar world GDP and population will increasingly be correlated." This suggests more self-sufficiency and fewer exports and imports - of concern especially to Germany and UK. Common policies will unwind and new ones are unlikely. The EU is finished, never mind a transatlantic trade and investment partnership. Read more

There is a great irony in the post. Blair and Brown kept Britain out of the Eurozone much to their credit and foresight. Another irony from the other side is the Eurozone lobby were and are not best pleased that Britain stayed out of the common currency. One less to help with the bailouts. Same points also apply to Maastricht.The last sentence in paragraph two does suggest the root causes of the problem. Not a popular presentation of Europe amongst the elite driving the institutions and philosophy. The plebs will have their day despite what the elite think is good for the plebs.

The Germans are stuck with Europe. Totally done in by it and they know that there is no way out. So they stick with Merkel at al.

The solution is to let it break up slowly as it will does so inevitably. The people will be glad to see the back of it. What started as a deal to protect steel production has become a octopus choking everything around it and itself also. It is dying a slow death. Read more

What, exactly, is the "explicit arrangement by which, in exchange for member states' continuation and deepening of structural reform, there will be greater fiscal flexibility and monetary-policy action to allow stronger growth and avoid deflation," Mr. Blair?

The only correlation between GDP and population is that states lacking basic institutions -- rule of law, sanctity of contracts, real political systems that hold elected officials accountable, individual rights -- is that cartels within the states, and their leaders, become wildly rich and control the evolution of their states. Real GDP per capita, the true measure of economic development, contracts as wealth becomes increasingly concentrated among the elites of the various cartels. (Read up on your Hayek, Mr. Blair.)

Europe as an idea is disintegrating because its leaders, like those in the USA, are venal to a degree that could scarcely be imagined until it was exposed in the lead-up to and aftermath the global financial crisis. This is playing out exactly as Hayek described it in The Road to Serfdom.

Europe's been down this road before. This go-round of European dysfunction is reminiscent of what was observed in the lead-up to the Great Depression and WW2, so close are the parallels with 1920s Europe, as chronicled by Guido de Ruggiero (a classic Euro liberal, in the way you use the term) and translated by Robin Collingwood. In "The History of European Liberalism" (1927), Ruggiero notes: "These economic elements in the crisis of Liberalism have an indirect action; they work by modifying the social structure of the middle classes, on which Liberalism is essentially based. During the period when the middle classes were increasing in strength, their central position gave them an advantage, because it enabled them to attract elements both from above and from below, and, once consolidated, to confer stability on the whole fabric. But it became a disadvantage when industrial evolution polarized the interests of Society, and gave rise to a reverse attractive tendency towards the extremes of plutocracy and social democracy. Thus began a slow but constant erosion of the middle classes, whose fragments were thrown by this centrifugal action partly into the proletariate, and partly into the new bourgeois aristrocracy, leaving the central nucleus reduced both in bulk and in coherence. ...The true greatness of this Liberalism appeared in the innumerable cases in which the bourgeoisie was able to postpone or even to sacrifice its own private interests to the public good, and accept the verdict of freedom even when given against itself." (p. 425)

Ruggiero opens his concluding chapter, "The conclusion of the foregoing analysis is that the crisis of Liberalism, grave and deep-seated as it is, is not so irreparable as it may appear to superficial observers and impatient heirs." (p. 434)

Alas, we know how that story ended in Italy; same-same in Germany, France, Greece, ..., Europe. England had Churchill; sadly his like no longer walks upon the world stage. History may not repeat, but it certainly does reprise. We are living thru such a polarization between plutocracy and social democracy as practiced in Europe now in the US, as unlikely as that seems, given our own history. Read more

First, Tony is the wrong guy now to advise EU Council on the way out of austerity. It was Tony who, with political pressure from GWB (after Iraq invasion), got Council to accept Barroso - as a last minute solution.

Second, Tony refused to support Maastricht Treaty and never under took to seriously involve UK in Euro and EMU.I can still see him riding out on bicycle in Maastricht while Kohl and Mitterrand looked on the youthful Tony....during signing ceremony.

Third, EU doesn't need another Manifesto (from Haven!); all it needs is to refrain from dissembling new EP after voters decided on their Spitzenkandidaten (Schul/Juncker). Merkel & Co will surely commit political suicide if they now decide to manipulate the sovereigns decision. Under Lisbon Treaty - EP must finally act and behave on behalf of the sovereign and decide - even if conflict on substance is always inevitable with Council because of its weighted majority.

In final analysis, Merkel has now felt the left-right-jab and will more or less reconcile with the division of labor (vote) in new EP. Read more

The victories of UKIP and the National Front demonstrate that the "established" parties have failed to explain the values, benefits and achievements of the European Union.

Why does no one ever talk about the ten rights EU citizens have, such as access to healthcare in any EU country, consumer protection, guaranteed reasonable quality of fixed telecoms service at affordable prices and low roaming prices and passenger rights while travelling. Add to that the values of democracy, freedom of expression and the achievement that European citizens have lived in peace and harmony for decades, and you would have had a strong case for Europe that citizens would have understood.

Europe's people can indeed wield genuine influence but for that there must be strong political discourse by political parties courageous enough to bust the myths of the euroscpetics and engage their citizens in genuine debates.

It is not "the EU" that "Must think carefully" about where it goes from here. The Commission, as part of the EU, has plenty of good legislative proposals that were watered down both by the European Parliament and the Council, such as the tobacco directive and the banking reforms. The Council in particular, needs to move away from national interests and act in the spirit of the European values instead of horse trading with the Parliament in "trilogies" behind closed doors.

Finally, I fail to understand why the rest of the European Union needs to look after the British interests and "avoid a retreat by Britain" to the sidelines? What, other than pursue her own commercial interests and maintain the rebate, has Britain ever done to advance the European values?

What we need is a positive discourse about Europe's diversity and strengths to challenge the right wing rhetoric and not more power to the Council!

There seems to be a strange disconnect between what Tony wants and what Tony can get. While I'm sure Tony would love to waltz into the Counsel, the Commission and the Parliament's offices and hand them a specific and precise program of action i doubt very much they would all see much benefit in it. Although Tony would probably take great pleasure in micro-managing the lot, mostly for the benefit of the UK government of course, the Commission will likely have a very different idea on how to approach all these important subjects. Best just stick with what we've got and not let Tony take it over. Read more

This is what Italian PM Renzia should sustain at G8 meeting about reforms and CorruptionWhat G8- G20 should do http://economicsandpolicy.blogspot.it/2013/06/i-capi-di-stato-al-g8-finalmente-hanno.htmlRead more

Harold James in a Project Syndicate article has discussed the nuances around a two currency approach, almost like the one California adopted when faced with the impossibility of access to funding, when IOUs were circulated; Greece for example could continue with a dual currency where the local currency immediately after introduction would trade at a discount and the parallel system could continue till a convergence could be reached, if at all. Workers paid in this currency would mean that real wages would decline and with lower wage cost competitiveness would return to the economy. Read more

Neither the European Union nor many of the national governments have performed. They are unlikely to do so.

Mr Blair's analysis and recommendations could have been written by any artificial intelligence program.

The euro zone is in an enduring slump because about a dozen countries with poor competitiveness profiles are yoked to about a half dozen Northern European powerhouses. There has been almost no constructive discussion of how this might be changed since the elections.

Where to start? Simple. Start by discussing establishing a two-currency currency union, one for the countries that organize public finances around the concept of supporting an ever stronger currency, and a second zone for countries that will combine currency devaluation with other tools as a major method of adjusting to changing international economic conditions.

"Keeping it all together" is probably a failed over strategy that will limp along until the politicians controlling the structure understand the need for fundamental change, not more of the same. Read more

Joschka Fischer
laments the fate of the European Union in the wake of the latest round of the Greek drama.

Project Syndicate provides readers with original, engaging, and thought-provoking commentaries by global leaders and thinkers. By offering incisive perspectives from those who are shaping the world’s economics, politics, science, and culture, Project Syndicate has created an unrivaled global venue for informed public debate.